Scientists at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have identified 16 genes that breast cancer cells use to protect themselves from destruction. Research results It was published In the journal Nature Communications.
Through experiments on mice and human cell lines, scientists have identified mechanisms that help cancer cells survive low oxygen levels (hypoxia) and spread throughout the body. According to the researchers, cells inside tumors (especially in areas where there is a lack of oxygen) adapt to the stress they experience as they enter the bloodstream.
The 16 genes found help cancer cells protect themselves from reactive oxygen species that cause oxidative stress. This allows the latter to migrate to more suitable areas where it can enter the bloodstream and spread to other parts of the body.
The team, led by Gregory Gilkes, an assistant professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins University, studied the behavior of hypoxic cells in the laboratory by staining and using spatial transcriptomics. This made it possible to determine which genes were active under hypoxic conditions and remained “on” after cell migration to oxygen-rich regions. In studies in mice, scientists confirmed that a subset of genes continued to be expressed long after cells had left the original tumor.
The results were particularly dramatic for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a type of tumor prone to recurrence. TNBC patients who experienced a relapse within three years were found to have high levels of MUC1 protein.
These discoveries bring scientists closer to understanding the mechanisms of tumor resistance to hypoxia, which could help develop new strategies to combat aggressive forms of cancer.
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